IVF/ICSI February 2025 🌟 ❤️

[ivfjourneyandme]

Hi ladies,

Starting early with this thread in hope some are on a similar time frame!

36yo, been trying to conceive for 2yrs. Severe MFI as well as AFC of 3 and AMH of 1.9pmol/l

First IVF cycle with ICSI ended with a total failed fertilisation - 4 eggs collected, all mature but no fertilisation.

We have now switched to long cycle and added in DHEA, COQ10, melatonin, vitamin D, omega 3 alongside our fertility vitamins.

I should start my period end of Jan; and then start down-regulating February with transfer hopefully late February if I’ve worked it out right!

Anyone else on this mental torture of a ride?

@ivfjourneyandme I’m on tablets norethisterone until 22nd feb and tbh they’re awful so far 🥲 wasn’t expecting to feel so bad so quickly! But apparently a lot of people say they’re the worst part and stims feel quite easy compared to this so 🤞🏻🤞🏻 should be starting stims on 28th as long as the withdrawal bleed is on time 🤞🏻 I’ve joined one of the March threads now too seeing as most of my stims and EC will be March but it’s pretty quiet over there so far since no one’s doing much at the moment

@Cherryblossom90 sorry if you’re said this before. Was your total failed fertilisation with IVF or ICSI?

@captainsmal im on that one too as my EC is looking likely for March but more of a community here

@ivfjourneyandme it was with ICSI.

@ivfjourneyandme yeah I think more people will join the March one closer to the time 😬

@YellowTack That's wonderful! I'm so happy you got to see your BFP 💖 What is your clinic's protocol for tests and scans? I hope they will be reassuring!

@Nobodyknowsitall that's so hard, you have every right to feel upset. This process sometimes just comes so close to breaking us. Wishing you luck with your transfer. It's difficult to go ahead and be hopeful after such a blow, but I'm hoping this little embryo will stick!

@ivfjourneyandme Congratulations, not long now! I hope your side effects are not too bad this time. In the past, did buselrin affect you physically, or emotionally?

@captainsmal and @Allnew2021 good luck with your medication. hopefully the down regulation is kind to you both 🤞

@Cherryblossom90 thinking of you and keeping my fingers crossed for good news tomorrow!

@Happibara my clinic don’t do beta so I need to take a test on Monday and call them, and they will schedule a viability scan at 7 weeks.
It’s a good thing I will go on vacations soon so it will keep me distracted until the scan!

@Happibara this is definitely exciting!!

Anyone else going through PGT-A testing and waiting for results? Having a bit of a freak out moment that my one embryo won’t make it and we’ll be out of chances for a sibling for our daughter

The first round of IVF is usually when they find out what works for your body. Similar to some others on this forum, I also needed a rather high dose of stims - so they may adjust accordingly. And sometimes some follicles do catch up at later days 🤞

Such amazing news!! Congratulations and best of luck on the next few weeks!! 💕💙💕

Scan today to start natural cycle. 4follies on right ovary nothing on left. And a one she said wasn’t worth the mention. 2x6mm 3x7mm. Next scan on Monday to see how they behave (!) over the weekend. Come on little follies grow for me!!! Will see if want to introduce any meds at 150….taking supplements had accupuncture and gonna try leave off my daily Pepsi max habit. For general health aswell as the cycle! Eeek

Was is IVF or ICSI? It only takes one ...

Good luck with the down regulation @ivfjourneyandme and @captainsmal . Hopefully you wont get too many symptoms. I felt ok for the first few days but then it seemed to hit all at once, leaving me feeling exhausted most days with a mild headache and disrupted sleep - I just kept telling myself it is only temporary!

@YellowTack Congratulations! That is great news. I hope the lines keep getting darker for you.

@Nobodyknowsitall Im sorry that this journey has been so hard on you. I will keep everything crossed that you get some good news tomorrow and can go ahead with the transfer.

@Allnew2021 thank you! Unfortunately the symptoms hit me really bad within a few hours of the first dose yesterday! I’ve been so exhausted like struggling to keep my eyes open at work, had some mild headaches, sore boobs and a bit of cramping but the worst one is just the weepiness so bad! Today at work I burst into tears in the middle of the shop and my husband had to take me out the back to calm down (we work at the same place lol) I keep telling myself that it’s not forever and I’ll be done in 8 days, and hopefully it will be worth it but it really has hit me hard 🥲 I’m hoping maybe it’s just due to all the progesterone all at once and maybe after a few days my body will be used to it 🤞🏻

@Poppycock84 that’s really interesting a natural cycle? What happens with that one? I’m on the lowest dose for my stims 150iu so I guess mine is classed as mild ivf but I’ve not heard of natural ones before. Hopefully your follicles will keep growing over the weekend for you 🤞🏻

Does anyone know the science behind the 36 hours between trigger and egg collection? I’ve had a sudden panic that I could ovulate between last nights trigger and tomorrow mornings EC. I don’t feel quite as crap as I did yesterday and it’s got me worried. Is it possible/likely to ovulate too early?

I’m on day 10 of down regulation and the headaches started yesterday, a constant dull ache that won’t go away :( only other side effect is the hot flushes that started yesterday too but they’ve not been too bad so far

@captainsmal oh no! Hopefully your body will adjust to the meds and you will start to feel better soon. If not then just try to keep the 'only' 8 days in mind - its rubbish the things we have to go through, but fingers crossed it will be worth it in the end.

@KayEmmSquared I think it was day 8 when the symptoms hit me, but the headaches wore off a bit after day 14. Hopefully you wont have too much longer to go.

I started stims yesterday so I'm hoping some of the down regulations symptoms will improve now.

@Allnew2021 yeah I think I’m just counting down now really, just tomorrow at work then 3 days off luckily so at least I can feel crap at home with my cats lol 😂 then 4 more days at work with it. I’ve heard stims will be so much easier than this like mentally etc 😅
@LuckyFlash I’ve also wondered about that but I don’t know the science I’m afraid, I just assumed that’s how long the trigger takes to kick in maybe? I might Google it haha

@captainsmal congratulations on getting started! I just have to wait for AF now and then it’s stims.

@Twittwoo2020 just catching up on your experience, so sorry you’ve had to go through that.

@RainbowFluff thats exciting! When are you expecting it to come?

@captainsmal officially due Sunday but I feel like it might actually come tomorrow. I’ve never done down regulation but it sounds really tough, you are all such warriors to go through that as well as the stims.

@RainbowFluff oooh not long now then! Aww, tbh I’m not sure if mine counts as proper full on down reg, the dr called it “suppressing stage” but really I think they’re doing it for the timing more than anything, especially as I can be a little bit irregular on my cycles
Some people buy this tablet for delaying periods when they go on holiday etc and I’m like omg how can people choose to take these on purpose 😅 but it’s probably just bad luck I’ve reacted so badly and I’m sure others have taken them no problems!

Happy Saturday!

How are you all doing? How is life for all you Ladies on the Norethisterone and down regulation meds?

@Cherryblossom90 have you heard from your clinic team today? I hope they confirmed your ET for Monday.

@LuckyFlash I hope your EC went well today!

My scheduled transfer took place today, 1 grade A embryo onboard.

Another 1 grade A sent for PGT-A biopsy and freezing.

Remaining 6 still alive today on day 5 are being allowed to develop some more, but as of today their grades are extremely poor, so I reckon they are unlikely to develop.

It doesn't help that my clinic doesn't share the typical 3-digit grades, only 1-letter overall grade... so from our embryologist's update I can't figure out if they are simply slow to grow, or already looking very abnormal.
Anyway, we'll learn whether they've made the cut on Monday, and even if not, at least we have the 2!

My OTD is 28th. I've been given a shot of HCG (ovitrelle) today, but no progesterone. I asked the nurse about it and apparently that's standard for my protocol, so I'll trust the process.

Because of the shot I would test positive for a while yet (at least several more days) but I'm SO tempted to test it out and have the BFP, or BFN earlier that the end of the month. I'll see whether I can stop myself 😂